Method op indigo dyeing



"Mar. 27, 1923.- i 1,449,981.

E. T. GARSED. METHOD 0F INDIGO DYENG- FILED Aue.5,1922.

9,9 MYC Patented Mar. 27, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. GARSED, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDER AND GARSED, INC., OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

METHOD OF INDIGO DYEING.

Application filed August 5, 1922. Serial No. 579,793.

To all civ/wm iz? may concern .Be it known that I, EDWARD T. Grinsen, a citizen of the United Sta-tes, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Indigo Dyeing; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to the dyeing of yarnvpreparatory to weaving the yarn into cloth, and has for its object the provision of a method of treatingl the yarn with greater convenience and more expedition while preserving all of the advantages of the present methods of dyeing.

It is customary at the present time to wind yarn upon beams having a perforated er otherwise foraminous cylinder and to apply the coloring matter to the yarn on the beam by forcing dye liquor through the cylinder and out throughthe yarn, and then reversing the processA and forcing the liquor through the yarn and withdrawing it from the center of the cylinder, repeating these steps as many times as necessary, and it is also old to dye the yarn as single strands and also as a sheet, but in each case the yarn is handledin a single manner throughout the process; that is,when the yarn is dyed on the beam it is oxidized on the beam by blowing compressed air through the cylinder, and when the rope or yarn is dyed in strands or in a sheet the oxidizing of the indigo dye is obtained by passing the yarn as strands or in a sheet as the case may be through flutterV rolls for exposure to the atmosphere for the appropriate time, and it is new, so far as Iam aware, to dye the'yarn on the beam and then to oxidize the dye Y while the yarn is extended as a strand or as a sheet, followed by a rewinding of the yarn on a beam similar to the original beam.

While I will describe my process in connection with the dyeing of blue denim, this vis a mere illustrative example and it is my intention to use the process to dye other fibers such as silk, flax, and wool, and to make various other fabrics,A such as ginghams, chambrays, etc. My process may bev limited, however, to such dyes, for example,

indigo, as require oxidization to obtain the desired color, it being well known that an indigo dyed fabric is green when it comes from the bath and only obtains its blue coloil after exposure to the air.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a dyeing machine;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a rebeaming mechanism. Y

In carrying out this method, the yarn is first wound on the hollow beams 10, a number of which, preferably four, are then placed in the casings 11 of the dyeing machine, where the beams are held down against the dye inlets 12 by means of clamps 14. The hot water from the tank 15 is now drawn past valve 16 and pipe 17 to the pump 18 and discharged via pipe 19 to the inlets 12 in communication with the perforated hollow cylinders of the beams. This boiling water passes through the yarn and falls by gravity to the tank 2O which has an orifice 21 to which the suction pipe 17 is connected.l

`When the boiling is completed the valve 16 is closed and the valve 25 is opened, thus connecting the indigo supply tank 26 with the pump 18.

The indigo dye liquor is forced through the yarn in one way only, the so-called inside-out method, that is, the liquor is discharged by pipe 19 to the hollow center of the beam and, passing through the foraminated or reticulate wall of the cylinder, dyes the yarn wound thereon. The length of time the dye is forced through the yarn depends entirely upon the mill. For my own-` part, I pass the dye liquor through the yarn for nearly an hour for each application of color. giving the yarn four separate applications for a dark blue denim of the standard overall color.

After the first application of colorv has been run as described the valve 25 may be closed and the valve 16 opened to wash the yarn again, but I almost invariably omit this washing at this time, although I sometimes wash the yarn in the dye machine just after the fourth or final application of the dye. From the dye machine the Vbeams are taken to the rewinder shown in 2. My preference is to use four re-winders, one for each beam and to run the re-winders at such a speed that the time of re-winding after the final dyeing is approximately' the same as the time required inthe dyeing machine.

The once-dyed beam l() is now placed on the stand 3() and the yarn directed over the flutter rolls 3l, 32, etc., of the oxidizing frame to a power-driven winding mechanism' 31k which shouldv have a variable speed in order to drive the yarn at proper speed for the different coats of dye, the yarn after the first application of dye requiring only about a minute to oxidize while requiring about two minutes after the third and approximately four minutes after the fourth and nal dye bath, The guide roll 36 and the adjustable leese comb 37 are of standard type and are used in thecustomary manner. It is to be noted that the end of the yarn thatwas on the outside ofthe beam l0 is on the inside or cylinder side of the beam 10a', so

that when the beam l0 is returned tothel dyeing machine, that portion of the yarn Which is of paler color, having previously beeny on the outside of Ithe beam 10, is now the first to be reached by the second' batch of dye, sothat, after the` second forcing of dye through the yarn, the two ends of each warp yarn are of exactly the' same shade. I

may wash the yarn as it passes from the last flutter roll 33' to the guide roll 36, although I prefer not towash. the yarn until after the finalfdye treatment in the machine7 and during the last rewinding it is preferable` to passfthe` yarn through a washer and through adryer, each of standard type, be'- fore it passes to the comb.l lVlien the yarn is wound on the beam 10a after the final dye bath, oxidizatio-n, washing and drying, it is ready for the slasher. It is often convenient, however, to drive out the excess liquor after each dyeing operation, beforeinsert'ing the beam inthe re-winder.

Theprincipal advantage' of the present method is theincreased output possible. When the yarn is dyed, washed and oxidized, in thread form, the dyeing must be regulated: in accordance with the slowest.

part of the process,V namely, the oxidizing;

, This requires the use of numbers of compensators, since. the yarn must necessarily move at a constant rate through the dye. On the other hand, if the dyeing and oxidizing are both` done while the yarn is wound on.

- the beam, it is: not po-ssible to secure abso'- dye liquor through the yarn while on the beam, rebeaming the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye while rebeaming.

2. rlhe method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn on a beam, forcing dye liquor through the yarn while on the beam, washing'the yarn while still on the beam, rebeaming the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye while rebeaming.

8. The method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn on a beam, forcing dye liquor through the yarn while on the beam, rebeaming the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye, and washing and drying the yarn while rebeaming.

4L. The method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn on a beam, forcing dye liquor through thel yarn. while on the beam, washing the yarn while still on the beam, rebeaming the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye and washing and drying the yarn while rebeaming.

5. The method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn on a beam, forcing dye liquor through the yarn while on the beam, rebeaming the varn, and in oxidizing the dye while rebeaming, forcing dye liquor through the yarn while on the second beam, rewinding the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye while the yarn is passing from the second beam to the final beam.

6. The method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn ony a beam, forcing dye liquor through the yarn While on the beam, rebeaming theyarn,oxidizing the dye While rebeaming, forcing dye liquor through the yarn while on the second beam, rewinding the yarn, and in oxidizing the dye While the yarn is being rebeamed.k

7. The method of dyeing yarn With an oxidizing color Which consists' inV Winding the yarn on a beam, applying. color to the yarn while on said beam, rebeaming the yarn, and inoxidizing the dye while rebeaining.

8. The method of dyeing yarn which consists in winding the yarn on. a support, ap plying color to the yarn while on said support, oxidizing said color and washing said yarn while removing said yarn from said support.

9. The method of applying indigo color to yarn which consists in passing dye liquor through a hollow beam and the yarn thereon, oxidizing the dye while rewinding the yarn on a beam with the formerly outside' ends of the yarn now nearest the cylinder, forcing dye liquor throughthe second beam; repeating the above process until theV desiredcolor is secured, and finally drying the yar-n.

l0. The method of applying indigo color to cotton warp threads, Which consistsiin` winding said threads on a hollowsupport, discharging indigo liquor to the center of the support to pass through the threads,vre-

versing the Winding of the Warp threads, and oxidizing lche dye during such step, and in discharging a further quantity of dye liquor to the reversed threads, and in oxidize ing the second application of dye.

ll. The method of applying indigo Color to yarn which consists in Winding the yarn on a hollow beam, applying indigo Color to the yarn While on said beam, removing exeess liquor from said yarn, unwinding said yarn from said beam, exposing the yarn to the atmosphere to oxidize the indigo, rebeaming the oxidized yarn, re-dyeing the yarn While rebeamed, unwinding said yarn, exposing the yarn to the atmosphere to oxidize the added color and rebeaming the yarn.

l2. The method of applying indigo color to yarn which consists in Winding the yarn on a hollow beam, Washing the yarn While on said beam, applying indigo color to the yarn While on said beam, removing excess liquor from said yarn, unwinding said yarn from said beam, exposing the yarn to the atmosphere to oxidize the indigo, rebeaming the oxidized yarn, re-dyeing the yarn While rebeamed, unwinding said yarn, exposing the yarn to the atmosphere to oxidize the added color and rebeaming the yarn.

EDWARD T. GARSICD. 

